The subject matter herein relates generally to flexible circuit board connectors.
Flexible circuit boards or “flex circuits” have many applications. The flexible circuit boards are typically connected to connectors or headers the are mounted to rigid printed circuit boards. The rigid printed circuit boards supply power to the connector and the power is supplied from the connector to the flexible circuit board. There is a desire to use flex circuits in applications that do not lend themselves to connection to a rigid circuit board. The rigid circuit board adds cost to the overall system and are unnecessary. There is a need to connect wires directly to the flexible circuit boards and eliminate the rigid circuit board altogether. For example, in some lighting applications where LEDs are mounted on the flexible circuit boards, there is a need for electrically connecting wires to the flexible circuit board to power the flexible circuit board. The flexible circuit boards may be mounted to any mounting surface, such as under cabinets for under cabinet lighting. Connection of wires to the flexible circuit board can reduce the cost for certain applications, such as under cabinet lighting. However, soldering of wires to the flexible circuit board is difficult and may require special tools and expertise.
A need remains for a cost effective and reliable system for connecting wires to flexible circuit boards.